Latch



Sept. 16 1924.

J. T. CANTRELL LATCH Filed Nov. 5, 1922 In 1 1 I sill 1 an /07 A MW Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

PATEN a 5, r. a

JOSEPH T. CANTRELL, OF HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK, ASSIG'NOR J. T. CANTEELL '&

- COMPANY, OF HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK, A FIRM.

LATCH.

Application filed. November 3, 1922. Serial No. 592,927;

To aZZ whom z't may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH T. CANTRELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Suffolk and the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lever operated latches, proposing a construction which is especially applicable for use in securing the doors of automobiles but which may also be used with advantage for other purposes.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simply constructed latch which occupies but little space and may be readily applied to the door to be secured, which a shall be certain and reliable in operation and in no way liable to derangement in consequence of rough usage, Whose parts will not rattle or work loose by reason of vibration, which may be economically produced, and which may readily be adapted, in manufacture, for doors which swing in different directions, e. g. doors at the opposite sides of an automobile.

lVith the above objects in view the invention consists generally in a combination of the supporting plate, latch bolt, operating lever and actuating spring, characterized by novel features of structure and organization, all to be set forth in detail as the description proceeds. I

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein: v

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the latch applied to the door of an automobile.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views on the respective lines 33, ir- 1 and 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of the clips for holding and guiding the bolt.

Figure 8 is a perspective view. of the bolt.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing details of the operating lever.

The latch is shown as applied to one of the side doors A of a delivery truck and a wear plate B may be provided adjacent said door.

The operating parts of the latch are mounted on a supporting plate 1 of suitable form which may be attached by screws 2 .is formed with lugs 15 and 16* which pro- .to the-door A. The latch includes a slidable bolt 3 which is imposed onthe plate 1. and issupported and guided by clips or loops 4 and 5 suitably attached to said plate,

the clips preferably having terminal lugs 6 which are fitted in openings in the plate and are upset to serve as rivets. The bolt 3 has at its outer end a head 7 which is formed to provide an inner shoulder 8 to engage the adjacent clip 5 and l1m1t the inward move- The spring 10 is of inverted U-shape and its legs tend to spring away from one another. One end of said spring-bears against the clip 4 and its other end bears against the head 7. It ispreferred to form said spring with angular terminal extensions. one of which is fitted in an apertured lug 12 provided on the clip 4 and the other'ott which is fitted in an aperture 13 in the head 7, the adjacent clip 5 havinga recess 5 which is effective when the bolt is retracted to provide a clearance for the end portion of the terminal extension which engages the head 7. v

The lever 11 includes a handle portion 1 1 which preferably overlies the bow portion of the spring lO; said lever is pivoted at its lower end, as at 15, to the plate 1 and above its pivot 15 is pivoted at a point between the clips 4 and 5, as at 16, to the bolt 3. The plate 1 is provided adjacent its upper and lower edges with apertures 17 which are so arranged that the pivot 16 may be fitted in either of them, according to the direction in which the door is mounted to swing. In the drawings it is assumed that the latch is mounted on a door at the right side of the automobile. If, however, the latch is to be made for a door at the left side of the automobile the pivot 16 will be fitted in the other aperture 17, that is to say in the aperture near the upper side of the plate, the present drawing being considered.

In the construction preferred the lever 11 vide the pivots l5 and 16 and whose ends may be upset whereby said lugs serve as rivets for the connection of the lever to the bolt and the supporting plate, the latter having an opening 18 under the bolt to give access to the lug 15*" in the operation of upsetting the end of said lug.

The bolt 3 has a close fit in the clips 4 and 5 and the lever 11 adjacent its pivots 15 and 16 has a close fit against the bolt and against the. supporting plate and normally bears at one side against the clip 5 under the strong pressure exerted by the spring 10. Consequently the latch is not subjectto rattling incident to the vibration of the car.

To open the door the lever 11 is pulled back, retracting the bolt When the door is swung closed the head 7, by reason of its cam face 9, rides past the adjacent part of the'door frame and when the door is fully closed the spring it) throws the bolt into latching position, causing it to engage over the plate B or equivalent part.

Upon opening the bolt by the lever 11 the backward movement of these parts is limited by the lever striking the rear clip l which latter acts as a stop for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the preferred form of the bolt, the body and head are constructed of a single bar of metal by leaving a part of the bar straight to form the body and reversely bending one end of the bar upon itself to form the head having the shoulder 8 and the beveled face 9.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a latch, a supporting plate, a slidable bolt, clips connected to the plate and through which the bolt extends, the clips serving to support and guide the bolt, a lever pivotally connected at one end to the plate and pivotally connected at a point inward from said end to the bolt, and a U- shaped spring having one end engaged with the bolt to effect the projection thereof and bearing at its other end against the clip remote from the engaging end of the bolt.

2. In a latch, a supporting plate, a slid at one end to the plate and a riveted pivotal connection at a point inward from said end to the bolt,

the lever being located between said clips and adjacent its pivots bearing "closely against the bolt and the plate, and a spring acting on the bolt to hold it normally pro jectechthe lever normally bearing at onesi'de thereof against the adjacent clip.

3. In a latch, a supporting plate, a slidable bolt, clips connected to the plate and in which the bolt has a close sliding fit, the clips serving to support and guide the bolt, a lever having a riveted pivotal connection at one end to the plate and ariveted pivotal connection at a point inward from said end to the bolt, the lever being located between said clips and adjacent its pivots bearing closely against the bolt and the plate, and a U-shaped spring having one end engaged with the bolt to effect the projection thereof and bearing at its other end against the clip remote from the engaging end of the bolt, tllle lever normally bearing against the other 0 1p.

L A latch comprising a plate, a guide loop arranged on the plate and'provided with a recess, a bolt sliding in said loop, a lever pivotally connected with said bolt and plate, and a bow spring engaging said bolt and adapted to enter said recess.

A latch comprising a plate, a guide loop arranged on the plate, a bolt having a body sliding in said loop and a head which is folded backwardly from the front end of the body, a lever pivotally connected with the plate and bolt, and a spring engaging the rear side of said head.

JOSEPH T. CANTRELL 

